Cleaner for paint rollers



Jan. 21, 1969 H. DOMMER CLEANER FOR PAINT ROLLERS Filed Dec. 5o, 1966 fag.

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ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent C) 3,422,828 CLEANER FOR PAINT ROLLERS Henry Dommer, 199 Orleans St., Bulalo, N.Y. 14215 Filed Dec. 30, l1966, Ser. No. 606,313 U.S. Cl. 134-138 Int. Cl. B08b 3/02 6 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE This apparatus includes a housing into which a paint roller mounted on its handle may be inserted to be cleaned by a jet of cleaning fluid to remove paint therefrom and to rotate the roller to remove paint and solvent from the roller by centrifugal action.

Background 0f the invention Paint rollers have generally been cleaned manually either by water in case of water soluble paints or by suitable solvents or thinners in the case of oil paints.

Summary 0f the invention Brief description of the drawings FIG. l is a perspective view of a paint roller cleaner embodying this invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation thereof on an enlarged scale on line 2-2, FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation thereof on line 3 3, FIG. 2.

The paint roller cleaner forming the subject matter of this invention includes a horizontally extending housing having end walls 5 and 6 and a curved, cone-shaped wall connecting the end walls 5 and 6 and forming sides 7 and 8 extending inwardly toward each other integral with a top wall 9.

The top wall is provided with a slot 10 extending longitudinally thereof and cooperating with a slide 12 having suitable guide means, such as cooperating, turned-over flanges 14 of the slide and 16 of the housing which permit the slide to be moved lengthwise of the housing. The side walls if desired may terminate at their lower ends in flanges 13 upon which the cleaner may rest on a suitable surface. To facilitate the handling of the slide, a handle 18 may be provided on the slide.

The bottom of the housing is open and a paint roller or cylindrical pad 20 may be arranged within this housing while mounted on its supporting frame, which includes an axle portion 22 and an outwardly extending portion 24.

The portion 24 extends outwardly from the housing through a notch or opening 28 arranged in the lower part of the side 8 of the housing. The handle of the roller incudes a part 26 which extends parallel to the side wall 8 adjacent to the lower edge thereof when the paint roller is positioned in the housing. The handle also includes an outwardly extending part 30 which has the usual grip portion 33 by means of which the paint roller may be manipulated.

In order to secure the paint roller securely in correct relation to the housing of the cleaner, a support for the handle is provided which holds the handle in correct angular relation to the housing. This support, in the construction shown, is in the form of a trough-shaped part 34 secured to the side of the housing and extending outwardly ICC therefrom. Preferably the trough-shaped supporting member has a cover member 36 which is approximately concentric with the trough member 34 and may be rotated about this trough member to close the upper face thereof so that the part 30 of the handle willbe confined in the trough-shaped part 34.

The slide 12 is provided adjacent to one end thereof with an inlet duct 40 which extends through the slide and terminates at its upper end in a nozzle 42 which is preferably shaped so as to project a jet 44 of liquid tangentially of the roller 20. This duct may be connected by means of a exible hose 46 with a water tap or other `source of liquid for washing the paint roller.

In the operation of my improved paint roller cleaner, the roller with the handle attached can be easily inserted into the housing of the apparatus with the part 24 of the handle extending through the opening or slot 28 in the side of the side wall 8, and this opening is provided with a slight lateral extension or offset 29 into which the part 24 of the handle may be inserted to hold the roller against passing out of the slot 28. The seating of the part 30 of the handle within the trough 34 prevents movement of the handle lengthwise of the housing and this holds the handle in the offset 29 of the slot or opening 28 to prevent the roller from moving down into the open, lower end of the housing. When thus positioned the cleaning liquid is turned on to discharge from the nozzle 42, and when the parts of the apparatus are .in the position shown in FIG. 1, this'jet of liquid will be projected tangentially against an end of the roller 20 and this produces a two-fold operation, namely in the first place of washing the roller, and in the second place of rotating the same rapidly, due to the impact of the jet 44 tangentially against the roller 20. When this end of the roller has been cleaned and the surplus cleaning liquid discharged radially from the same, due to centrifugal action, the slide 12 is moved slowly along the housing to subject all parts of the roller to the jet 44. When this jet has been moved to the opposite end of the housing from that shown in FIG. 1, the roller will be freed from paint and also cleaning liquid is thrown outwardly by centrifugal action. When the slide with the jet is moved along the roller, the liquid and paint from the roller will have been discharged tangentially so that no further paint or liquid will be discharged through the opening in the top of the housing when uncovered by the slide 10. When the cleaning has been completed, the roller .is substantially dry and may then be used on paint of another color. g

The jet cleaning liquid is preferably directed downwardly toward a side of the roller and any excess liquid is thus directed downwardly and discharged through the open bottom of the housing.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art Within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device for cleaning paint rollers having a handle, said dev-ice including:

a housing comprising side and end walls and a top wall,

means on said housing for rotatably mounting a paint roller therein lengthwise of said housing,

said top wall having a slot extending lengthwise thereof,

a slide extending lengthwise of the top wall across said slot,

a nozzle extending through one end of said slide into said slot and positioned to project a jet of cleaning liquid into said housing at a paint roller in a direction tangentially of the same,

and means for guiding said slide lengthwise of said housing to project said jet on said paint roller throughout the length thereof while rotating said roller to project paint particles and cleaning fluid radially therefrom. 2. A cleaning device according to claim 1 and having an open bottom through which a paint roller attached to a handle may be inserted upwardly into said housing,

supporting means on a side wall of said housing for said handle and including a slot in said side wall through which a part of said handle may be inserted,

and a supporting extension on said housing which receives a part of said handle to support said roller lengthwise of said housing in spaced relation to the walls thereof.

3. A cleaning device according to claim 2 and including an offset in said slot into which said handle part may be inserted,

and means on said housing cooperating with said handle for holding said handle in said offset in said slot.

4. A cleaning device according to claim 3 in which said trough-shaped extension on said housing has a part which engages said handle to prevent movement of the same in a direction to disengage said handle from said offset of said slot.

5. A cleaning device according to claim 2 and including a cover for said extension to confine the handle part in said extension.

6. A cleaning device according to claim 1 in which said housing has an open bottom,

said nozzle being directed downwardly tangentially of said roller and toward said open bottom of said housing.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,121,866 6/1938 Fredrikson 134-177 2,938,368 5/1960 Bixel 134--138 XR 3,075,534 l/1963 Habostad 134-138 3,126,899 3/1964 Caywood 134-138 3,139,891 7/1964 Faustman 134-138 ROBERT L. BLEUTGE, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

